X MICS THE SPOT FOR DEF LEPPARD

X, the latest studio album from Def Leppard was the first time the band have recorded with Audio-Technica microphones.

10-01-2002
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The band already use a number of A-T mics for their live shows, working with renowned front of house engineer Brad Maddix, and it was Maddix who first recommended that they put the mics through their paces in a studio setting. Accordingly, producer Peter Woodroffe and studio engineer Ronan McHugh checked out the AT4060 and the AT4047 mics during the pre-production tests leading up to the recording of X. The tests proved so positive that McHugh had no hesitation in relying on the AT4060 to record every single vocal featured on the album, as well as bringing in the AT4047 to record the acoustics on a number of tracks. He said, “Traditionally we have always used a Neumann for Joe’s vocal sound, but since we got hold of the A-T valve mic the Neumann hasn’t had a look in. It hasn’t even been out of its box, which probably tells you all you need to know about how impressed I was with the AT4060. “The AT4047 also worked really well on acoustics, as the tonal balance was just right and it gave us a really good clean signal to work with.” X is the band’s 10th album of an illustrious career and its release on the Island Def Jam label debuted at number 11 on the prestigious Billboard Chart. Def Leppard will be touring Japan and the US during the final months of 2002 and are planning a UK tour in early 2003. Def Leppard www.defleppard.com